Man on trial for murder of man found dead in wardrobe

A 36-year old man has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with the murder of a man whose body was found wrapped up in a wardrobe in Dublin in September 2012.

Anthony Locke, from Prussia Street, has denied the murder of Christopher Jackson at Prussia Street on 7 September 2012.

Earlier, his brother Bernard Locke, of Ramilles Road Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to murder. He will be sentenced at a later date.

The jury in Anthony Locke's trial was told the facts of the case were somewhat upsetting.

Senior Counsel Conor Devally said the victim in the case, Mr Jackson, lived in a flat at 82 Prussia Street and sometimes carried out odd jobs for his landlord.

Anthony Locke lived in the flat above with another man and they were often visited by his brother Bernard, who has pleaded guilty to murder.

Mr Devally said the house in Prussia street was "in a poor location".

The residents were "a mixed bunch who lived on the edge" and drugs were "bandied about" in the area in a way which other people might not understand.

He said the victim lived with his partner Barbara Staunton and they had a difficult life.

In the days leading up to 6 September 2012, there was an amount of interaction between the people in the house.

There was drink taken, and possibly drugs, although the accused man had not necessarily taken drugs.

He said the jury would hear evidence that on the night of 6 September going into 7 September, Mr Jackson was in his flat with Ms Staunton and answered a knock to his door.

He was pushed back into the house with a large knife sticking into his chest.

It is alleged that one man restrained Ms Staunton while the other "engineered" Mr Jackson towards the kitchen.

They then swapped places and Ms Staunton was restrained by the other man, according to the prosecution.

Mr Devally said the jury would also hear evidence about the aftermath and attempts made to conceal or clean up, which must have taken place in the days after the attack.

He said the jury would also hear evidence from neighbours about the conduct of the parties in those days.

Mr Devally said Mr Jackson suffered many injuries caused by multiple stab wounds and that the jury would hear evidence of a garda investigation and how it was triggered when Mr Jackson's body was discovered in a wardrobe "wrapped in a vigorous fashion".

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